Michigan forward Mitch McGary, left, reacts to a basket in the second half against Virginia Commonwealth at the Palace of Auburn Hills. / Rick Osentoski / USA TODAY Sports

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Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

When Turner Sports basketball analyst Charles Barkley filled out his NCAA tournament bracket, he knew what he liked and what he didn't.

Before picking against Wisconsin, Barkley said: “The Big Ten is overrated. They’ve got a bunch of hardworking guys, great coaching, but we’re going with talent.”

Today, in an interview on WDFN-AM (1130)’s “Shep in the Morning” show, Michigan center Mitch McGary was asked about Barkley’s prediction. Four Big Ten teams reached the Sweet 16.

"If he thinks it’s overrated, he needs (to do) a double take and understand going through this conference is no joke,” McGary told host Matt Shepard. “You don’t realize it during the season, because everybody’s had 4-5 losses in that top 5-6 teams. But going into the tournament, anything can happen.”

Other topics McGary discussed today:

• On his role in the NCAA surge: “It’s been a lot of heart, a lot of it comes from me and just bringing a lot of energy. And everybody feeds off that, so I think our team just wants it more. The seniors have talked about it multiple times; everyone going out there (and putting) it on the table. We want to be one of the top teams in the country.”

• On the influence of his energy: “That’s the way I’ve always played. The high energy, defense guy and blue-collar worker, and people feed off that. I think, just going into the game, hyping the crowd up, everybody needs to do it.”

• On how the up-tempo pace vs. VCU on Saturday helped him: “Glenn (Robinson III) and I were AAU teammates; we know how to play with each other on the court. We saw the opportunity to get to our old ... up-and-down, run-and-gun style of play. We were thrilled.”

• On facing Kansas center Jeff Withey this Friday: “I had to watch the Kansas/UNC game to see who we were playing, and Jeff Withey really showed up in that game, had a 16-16 performance. It should be a good matchup for me on Friday.”

• On Withey, a senior, having an edge: “In a sense, yes, but I’m an older freshman, and even if he’s a fifth-year senior, everyone learns at their own rate. I think he’s a great player, and I’m excited for the matchup to come.”